A better Bond

There are over twenty James Bond films, with plots and villains and gorgeous women that tend to blur. Daniel Craig is the sixth actor to enter the franchise, whose casting was initially met with criticism. James Bond as seen on film is nothing like the Royal Naval Reserve Commander (and bureaucrat) with the occasional dangerous mission that author Ian Fleming created in his novels.

On first meeting Sean Connery, arguably the quintessential Bond, Fleming said,

"I'm looking for Commander James Bond, not an overgrown stunt man."

Tsk-tsk Mr. Fleming, I loved that overgrown stunt man, as did a legion of 007 fans. I acknowledged that Bond should remain young and vital, and accepted each time the tuxedo was passed on, though half-heartedly. And then came the remake of Casino Royale; the over-the-top opening sequence was no longer a long shot with a stunt man cleverly hidden behind ski goggles or a motorcycle helmet, it was Craig as Bond, leaping, climbing and what?!...running through a wall! Gone was the glib banter and smug demeanor, replaced by a flinty expression of absolute focus. Daniel Craig explored a new facet of the secret agent; the world-weariness and terrible weight of being an assassin.